Taunton man among 10 charged in Brockton drug wiretap investigation

Thursday

BROCKTON — Ten men are facing federal charges related to a lengthy drug investigation that focused on criminal and gang activity in the Addison Avenue area of Brockton, officials said.

Seven men were arrested on Thursday morning related to a federal investigation, deemed Operation Red Heat, that began in January into the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine throughout the city of Brockton.

The investigation focused on the "A Block" street gang, which is short for Addison Avenue, and primarily three brothers – Djuna, Cody and Anthony Goncalves, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston by Trooper Jason Ambromoski.

Authorities say one of the men charged in the federal case remains at large, while seven were arrested on Thursday. Two others – Djuna and Cody Goncalves – are currently in state custody at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility on gun and drug charges.

Eight of the men are from Brockton, prosecutors say, while one is from Taunton (Greene) and another is from Truro (Donahue).

As a result of the investigation, prosecutors say they seized five guns and more than two pounds of fentanyl.

"Djuna and Cody Goncalves and Calvin Mendes distributed drugs while on pre-trial release for pending state drug trafficking and gun possession charges," the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement. "Djuna Goncalves and Angelo Pina were previously convicted of drug trafficking offenses in federal court in Boston, and Pina is still on supervised release from his prior federal conviction."

Djuna and Cody Goncalves, who were already under investigation by federal and state agents, were arrested on Oct. 21 after a shots-fired incident outside their home, at 12 Addison Ave.

The shooting, in the affidavit obtained by The Enterprise on Thursday, is referred to as an "assassination attempt" on Djuna Goncalves. As part of the ongoing federal investigation, agents had placed two pole cameras outside the home, which eventually captured the Oct. 21 shooting.

The cameras captured a person in a hooded sweatshirt pacing the outside of the home, into the backyard and into a neighbor's yard, with a view into the basement, beginning about 2:40 a.m.

"Thereafter, the pole camera picked up flashes of light, which, I believe, based on my training and experience, to be the discharge of a firearm," Ambromoski wrote.

Although no one was struck in the shooting, police recovered five 9mm shell casings outside the home. The bullets entered the home through the basement windows, where Djuna lived in a basement apartment.

"For years, Djuna and his siblings have used 12 Addison Avenue as a home base to facilitate their drug trafficking activity," the affidavit states. "Not surprisingly, the neighborhood surrounding 12 Addison Avenue has been the scene of two murders, numerous shots-fired calls and other reports of crimes of violence."

Djuna was the main target of the ongoing federal "drug trafficking organization" investigation, the affidavit states.

"While many of Djuna's co-conspirators are other drug dealers whom he supplies, Djuna also directly sells to drug costumers," Ambromoski wrote.

When Brockton police responded to the shooting on Addison Avenue, they conducted a well-being check inside to make sure no one was injured. During a search, they noticed a handgun on a table inside the home and secured the house to apply for a search warrant. Detectives located at least two guns, including an AK-47, inside the home at the time.

Mayor Bill Carpenter said the streets of Brockton are safer as a result of Thursday's arrests.

"If there's a word that concerns these criminals, it's the word 'federal,'" Carpenter told The Enterprise. "What happened today, with the U.S. attorney prosecuting this case, will ensure that these dangerous individuals will be off our streets and out of our city for a long time. We won't see any of these characters for a while. The city is a safer place today than it was yesterday."

The case will be prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Enforcement Reduction Team, State Police detectives assigned to the Plymouth County district attorney's office and the Brockton Police Department.

“This is another example of the ongoing efforts of the Brockton Police Department and the administration of Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter to partner with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to take the most violent repeat offenders off the streets and make Brockton a safer city,” said Brockton Police Chief John Crowley.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.